Today’s post is from lavackfitness.com – please visit them for some very insightful articles that go far beyond ‘just fitness’.
“Let Me Lose 10lbs First…”
Have you heard yourself saying this?
If you’re a trainer, have you heard a client say this?
This leads me into a recent conversation I had with a new member. Everything looked like it was going in the right direction towards getting this client on board with working towards their goal, but we hit a little roadblock.
They want to get started on their own, with the little bit of knowledge I just provided them with. Will this person be successful? From personal experience, this person is successful 15-25% of the time. I don’t blame them for taking this path to be honest, it’s not easy to admit that you need help or that you can’t do something on your own.
“We all know what to do”, is a false statement I often hear with new potential clients who really don’t know what needs to be done in order to reach their goal.
Even if you do know what to do, it is often the lack of action that creates the problems at hand. Not following through with what needs to be done in this example is a contributing factor on why the individual is in the position they are in.
So we currently are dealing with two groups of people:
Those without the knowledge looking towards reaching their goal.
Those with the knowledge, but lacking action towards their goals.
Unfortunately these two groups make up a vast majority of the population. These are the folks that need help reaching their goals because a very small percentage successfully meet the outcome they envisioned.
So let’s break down each group: their reasoning, the possible outcomes, and how to create a positive atmosphere for success.
Group #1: Those Without the Knowledge Looking To Lose Weight
Reasoning and How to Deal with It:
With this group, I typically hear people saying something to the extent of, I’ll workout on my own and drop a few pounds to get the hang of things and then come see you. I want to make the most out of my sessions with you.
While I love that they want to make the most of their sessions, the problem here is that when a lot of these individuals have it in their mind that they want to lose 10, 15, 20 pounds, they never reach that number in a timely manner. From there it leads to being discouraged and giving up, so I never actually meet up with these individuals. Well, that sucks, they had the best intentions but fell short.
The problem here is that the best intentions don’t mean anything if the proper actions are not put into place.
With all the conflicting information out there, it is hard to tell what actually works and what doesn’t work. This is the most important aspect that needs to be known – what you are doing, is it an effective strategy to reach your goal?
If we are dealing with putting our retirement plan together we don’t do it ourselves do we? No, we hire an accountant.
If we have to have our car engine fixed, we don’t try to do it ourselves do we? No, we hire a mechanic.
So why is it that when it comes to health and fitness, people are so quick to not seek out the professional opinions of people whose sole purpose is to help you reach your goal?
If being successful was purely just about finding the right exercise and nutrition program that works for you; we wouldn’t have the issue with obesity that we currently have here in the United States, and even expanding further into many other first world countries.
While finding an exercise and nutrition program are the heart and sole of successful weight loss, it is the mental side of things where problems typically arise. Adherence to whatever program you are participating in is key. This is where having accountability to another person can be very beneficial to see progress. Lets face it life happens and things can easily distract you from your goal, especially if stress enters the equation.
calorie-balance
Too many people enter a diet looking at which supplements to take, organic vs. non-organic, and when to eat but tend to overlook the more important aspects of diet success – calorie balance and percentages of macro-nutrients.
Focus on eating healthy, get to the gym and workout. These two major keys to success are full of many smaller components. This is where seeking the advice from a professional can be beneficial.
If you’re reading this and looking to make changes, but haven’t had luck on your own, seek the advice of a professional.
If you’re a trainer, leverage the fact that you are the professional. You’re good at what you do, so educate your client about the fact that getting into shape is a little more than “just eating right and exercising more.”
Group #2: Those With the Knowledge, but Lacking Action
While I briefly touched upon this group within the contexts of Group #1, it’s important that we mention this lack of taking action on it’s own. I’ve met plenty of people who have all the education needed to be successful. They have a good amount of knowledge with both, nutrition and training. Are their methods the best possible methods out there which will yield the quickest results? Maybe not, but their information will in fact yield results.
So why do these people never reach their goals?
Could it be paralysis by analysis? I believe for some people this is definitely the case. Some people get in their own way of their goals because they are always searching for the “best program”. The issue here is that you’ll never be satisfied and always feel you could find something better. Some action is better than no action. If this is you, start a program, change what works and get rid of what doesn’t.
If the above doesn’t apply to you, what is preventing you from being successful?
I get that life is busy and it’s easy to toss to the side “optional” aspects which are going to be difficult. Changing your nutrition and/or exercise habits isn’t easy, hell changing any habit isn’t easy. Your body doesn’t enjoy having to change. Any amount of distraction can easily push aside what needs to be done.
This group needs to get out of their own way. Stick to a program and change will occur.
Behavioral changes is the key to success for this group. It’s easy to have the knowledge but applying the knowledge into a structured manner that allows you to be successful is the sweet spot.
This is where you need to ask yourself what behavioral changes do I need to work on in order to actually reach my goal?
It may take a bit of searching and not be apparent at first but if you have the knowledge but not getting any progress, your problem doesn’t lie with finding the next best program. You need to address the lifestyle/behavioral changes or else you’ll continue to hop from program-to-program with no real results coming from any of them.
It’s not the program that is the problem, but rather other issues within yourself.
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